Ponsot tasting @ Jan-7 2006

This was conducted over dinner with the Chevaliers at Summer Pavilion Chinese restaurant at Ritz-Carlton. The food was fantastic. There were 2 tables at this dinner. Laurent Ponsot was present to preside over the tasting. The wines were served in pairs with the exception of wine #1 (the white, Clos de Monts Luisants 2000) and wine #10 (Chapelle-Chambertin 2001).

The aperitif was quite delicious. It was a Simonnet Chablis 1er cru Mont de Milieu 2000. Very ripe and honeyed at first, but gave way to firm and razor-like acidity later on at the finish. Quite nice.

The (only) Ponsot white, the Clos de Monts Luisants 2000 showed a very ripe and toasty nose. In the palate it showed almost an overt oiliness with melons and toast (again) and spices. It was in a way rather monolithic and square in the mouth. It needed food. The finish initially was warm and reticent of acids. Later on, it showed better integration and in spite of the cooked aromas, put on more freshnesh at the back. Andy was right, rather Pinot-Blanc-ish this one is.

The next pair was Gevrey-Chambertin Cuvee l'Abeille 1999 and 2000. Hands down these are very different wines, even by the looks of it. At one glance the 2000 had a more advanced, browning, orangey colour. The 1999 still had a deep ruby to a point of purple hue. Both didn't show the Gevrey tell-tale nose. But in the palate, upon coaxing, the 2000 showed a rather stewey, soupy raspberry fruits with hints of stems. The 1999 however was a different animal. While the 2000 had a frontal sweetness which fell flat at the finish, the 1999 was immediately clearer, brighter and more concentrated. The freshness lends a more detailed expression of fruits, but both wines came across rather round and lacked the definitive Gevrey-iron cut. (That said, the 1999 was showing a reticent hints of the iron elements...)

This was followed by a pair of 1er cru of Chambolle-Musigny les Charmes 2000 and 2001. Now both wines showed a more typical nose of the appellation -- combining ripe candied raspberries with cream (more obvious with the 2001). The 2000 seemed to suffer from latent corked-syndrome -- not apparent in the nose but in the finish it was discernible. Otherwise, the wines showed bright and polished palate of dense red-fruits. The case was particularly magnified with the 2001 sample, which showed higher pitched, more midpalate sweetness as well as density and brightness. Both wines came across as round and gentle -- a tell-tale Ponsot style perhaps? Nonetheless, clearly showing 1er cru class as compared to the simpler precedence.

Griotte-Chambertin 1997 and 1999 pair followed next. My experience with Ponsot's 1997s were positively positive (pardon the redundant statement). Its Clos de la Roche VV 1997 was perhaps my best 1997 grand cru tasted besides Roty's Charmes-Chambertin (a different -- but nonetheless excellent -- animal altogether). And so with great anticipation I awaited the 1997 Griotte... and it did not disappoint. This was at once a lot more voluminous and full of energy as one should expect out of any grand cru. Roasted raspberries and other red-fruits tinge dominate the cushy and cosy palate. Delicious. And clearly a grand cru class. The 1999 bettered this with its brighter, more intense and sappier expression of the same core of fruits. Sadly, after tasting the 1999 the 1997 clearly lacked the midpalate sweetness and earthy, oily untuosity that the best of the 1999 always seemed to offer, like this one....

The last duo of the 'best' wines of the domaine, the Clos de la Roche cuvee Vieilles Vignes, came from vintages 2003 and 1999 respectively. True to form, the 2003 was very dark and showed candied dark raspberries which turned curranty later on interspersed with milk chocolates and hints of violets and licorice. It was so ripe and dark-fruited yet managed to steer away from being downright new-worldish. For what it was, it was delicious and quite balanced, although the roundness of the wines of this domaine somewhat made it less 'bearable' than the other very ripe vintages, say, 2000 . The 1999 was therefore a breath of fresh air, with its very complex aromas of vitamin (B), bacon fats and dark raspberries. It possessed the quintessential grand cru attributes of volume, intensity, earthy complexity and texture. It was bright yet oily, meaty yet fruity and other weird juxtapositions one can think of. Methinks this was the wine of the night. Period.

The last wine was Chapelle-Chambertin 2001 and was excellent. This showed the pointed accuracy of flavours the best wines of this vintage could bring. Of all the Gevrey wines tonight, this one showed immediate typicity right from the start -- the nose showed the minerality, iron-tinged red berries fruits so typical of the commune. This wine possessed an excellent high pitch and minerality details -- but is still round somewhat in shape -- and unfortunately overshadowed by the CdlR VV 1999 in terms of complexity and breed. It is an admirable effort -- fully typical and very convincing.